The Language Teacher
August 2001
Alternative Assessment for Graded Readers
Kerry Lida & Alexandra Smith
School for International Training, Tokyo Jogakkan Junior College
QUICK GUIDE
Key Words: Extensive reading
Learner English Level: High beginner to advanced
Learner Maturity Level: Junior high to university
Preparation Time: 30 to 45 minutes to make handout and criteria
Activity Time: 30 minutes or more
Graded readers are an excellent chance for students to gain extensive reading practice. Final assessment is commonly in the form of book reports. In general, however, students don't like writing them as much as teachers dislike reading them. This article describes an alternative form of assessment to use with graded readers that is enjoyable for both student and teacher.
One of the goals for this class was that students would be able to increase their confidence in, and enjoyment of, reading stories in English. Because we believe this goal to be vital to their reading success, we looked for alternative ways to assess their reading progress throughout the course that would not detract from this enjoyment. The graded readers that we used were published by Penguin, Cambridge, Longman, and Oxford. Initially we used class sets which students read in class as well as for homework. As the class progressed, students were placed in reading circles (three or four students read the same book), and we concluded with students choosing their own books during classroom "book fairs." During the semester, each student read approximately six to eight books. After given reading assignments, students completed comprehension activities individually, in pairs, or in small groups.
For each book, we chose projects to assess students' understanding of the story and their reading progress. Because tests can be seen as threatening, we felt projects would increase the students' enjoyment of reading and allow the students to present their learning in a non-threatening environment. The students could choose from several projects which were designed to match their varied learning styles and interests.
The following projects were presented to the students throughout the semester and were completed both in class and as homework:
Writing a Letter to a Friend: You have just read the most interesting book and can't wait to tell a friend about it! Write a one-page letter to a friend telling them about the book and why they should read it.
Advertisement: Draw an advertisement to sell your book to another interested reader. Include parts of the plot, setting, and characters that will make the book interesting to another reader.
Comic Strip: You will be using all of your artistic skills! Draw a comic strip about the story, and show what happens during the story. Be sure to write about each picture using your own words.
Time Line: Draw a timeline for the book that you read. What happens from the beginning to the end of the book? Include the plot, characters, and setting. As you are making your timeline, include an imaginary character who becomes part of the story.
Imagine: Write a one-page paper telling what happens after the story. What happens to the characters? What do they do? Use your imagination and make sure it relates to the story.
Diary: Choose a character and write a one-page diary telling how the character is feeling at the beginning, middle, and end of the book.
Interview: Pretend that you are a reporter and you will interview one character from your book. You need to write eight questions and give an answer for each question. Your questions should be related to the story.
Book Talk: On a tape, talk about the book you have just read. Tell the plot, setting, characters, what the book is about, why you liked the book, and your favorite part of the book. Speak loudly and confidently!
Storymap: Draw a storymap for the book that you read. Include the plot, characters, and setting.
The examples on these two pages are (a) a comic strip and (b) a storymap. The projects were graded on a set of criteria, in the form of a rubric that was given to the students with the assignment. The criteria included: understanding parts of the book, grammar, and overall quality of the work.
We found that our students really enjoyed the projects, and seemed more interested and motivated to talk about the book using their project. It was fun for us, as teachers, to see the students' enjoyment of reading and see the creativity of their projects, grade them, and break the repetition of reading book reports. Perhaps more importantly, feedback from the students frequently touched on how reading in English had changed from a difficult chore to an enjoyable activity, thus achieving one of our most important goals.
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